The Los Angeles Lakers have failed to sign a free agent, and the roster doesn’t look strong enough to be a legitimate title contender ahead of teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder in the West. Looking at their 2024 offseason so far, they have made some major mistakes when building the team around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers missed a golden opportunity by not going all-in for Donovan Mitchell during the 2024 offseason. Mitchell could have significantly bolstered the Lakers’ backcourt. Last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game and was considered the best shooting guard in the world by most. The Lakers’ current roster lacks a consistent high-volume scorer outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, making Mitchell’s acquisition a potential game-changer.
By not pursuing Mitchell aggressively, the Lakers have potentially missed out on an All-Star guard who could have alleviated the scoring burden on their aging superstars and provided a fresh offensive spark. Mitchell ended up signing a two-year extension with the Cavaliers, and while the Lakers can’t be fully faulted for not preventing that, perhaps not putting together a monster trade package including D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, and two first-round picks (including the valuable 2030 first-round pick) left them stranded without a third superstar.
No doubt, Mitchell’s youth and athleticism would have been a perfect fit for the Lakers’ transition game. The team’s two best players are 39 and 31, and Mitchell, at 27, would have brought down that average while injecting much-needed energy and speed. The decision not to go all-in for Mitchell may haunt the Lakers as they navigate the 2024-25 season, especially if their current roster fails to meet championship expectations.
Failing to land Trae Young in the 2024 offseason is another significant blunder for the Lakers. Young, an elite point guard, averaged 26.2 points and 10.1 assists per game last season with the Atlanta Hawks, demonstrating his exceptional playmaking abilities and scoring talent. His ability to stretch the floor with his deep shooting range would have complemented the Lakers’ offensive scheme, considering the team ranked 24th in that sense last year.
The Lakers’ current point guard rotation lacks a player of Young’s caliber who can both create for others and score efficiently, making the failure to acquire him a glaring oversight. D’Angelo Russell did well last year averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 assists per game, but he isn’t on Young’s level as a scorer and passer. The Hawks drafted Alexandre Sarr with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft so they could be open to rebuilding, but the Lakers never presented a strong enough package to nab him. No doubt, Young’s dynamic playmaking could have alleviated the offensive load on LeBron James, allowing the veteran superstar to focus more on conserving energy and playing off the ball.
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